Hillary Clinton Supports UN Population Control

The title alone should make the hair on your back stand up, Hillary Clinton Supports UNPopulation Control.  The idea of elitists determining who should live isn’t new; but many folks have chosen to forget some of the darker periods in history.   Daniel Tailor wrote an article back on August 27, 2007, Eugenics Moves to theTwenty-First Century which gave a history along with updates on the manipulation of the human race.

“In 1902, Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Institute which among other things, funded the Eugenics Record Office in America. The ERO (1910-1944) operated from Cold Spring Harbor in New York. Eugenics policies, which led to the sterilization of thousands of Americans, were developed in this office.

The Rockefellers, perhaps more so, were also heavily involved with eugenics. Rockefeller influence in American eugenics can be traced to the beginnings of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. John D. Rockefeller, along with Averell Harriman gave $11 million to create the facility in the early 1900’s. Rockefeller influence also spread overseas to Germany, where the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Psychiatry, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Eugenics, Anthropology and Human Heredity resided. Much of the money used to run these facilities came from Rockefeller.  These weren’t just average scientific institutes; the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes would become the center for Nazi eugenics programs.”

 “The world has a cancer, and that cancer is man.” – Merton Lambert, former spokesman for the Rockefeller foundation

It’s too painful to think about what happened in the not too distant past, NAZI extermination of inferior humans; and anyway, that could never happen again.  Take off your blinders and look what’s has been going on, just not talked about much in the media.

“The history of eugenics in America is filled with controversy and harrowing stories of forced sterilization throughout many U.S. states. In 2002 Mark R. Warner, the governor of Virginia issued an apology for the thousands of individuals that the state had sterilized from 1924 to 1979.”

That has to be a misprint, 1979?  You mean to tell me people have been sterilized by force here in the United States as late as 1979?  The sad truth, it’s true; and it would be as safe bet the practice continues to this day.  In an article titled, Hell on Earth: TheAmerican Eugenics Movement and the Fernald Boys Home, we are shown some of the horrors which have been swept under the rug. 

“During the famous 1927 Supreme Court case “Buck v. Bell”,  Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared “Three generations of imbeciles is enough,” and ruled that involuntary sterilization of the “feebleminded” — the long-sought goal of eugenicists — was to become the law of the land. In an 8 to 1 decision the Court legitimized Virginia’s law on sterilization which was not repealed until 1974.

But it turns out that the three generations in this case, Carrie Buck, her mother Emma, and her daughter Vivian weren’t imbeciles. Carrie was an average student and Vivian, taken from her mother and placed in the home of the family whose nephew had fathered her, made the honor role once in her short life.” 

“The State Boys Rebellion retells the true story of Frederick Boyce and his friends who spent their childhoods in the Walter E. Fernald School for the Feeble-minded in Massachusetts, a government program that locked poor or uneducated children into mental institutions from the early 1900s through the 1970s. There, the children were neglected, abused and used for scientific experiments as part of the eugenics movement that tried to separate people considered to be genetically inferior from the rest of society in order to prevent them from reproducing.”

We know that marketing a product is just as important as the product itself; the same is true with ideas.  Those in favor of eugenics and population control are reluctant to come right out and say what their intentions are; folks might get wise to the game plan.  Today eugenics has incorporated an environmental twist; we need to limit the damage humans are doing to Mother Earth; now who wouldn’t be in favor of saving the planet?

“Since the early days of eugenics, a new “brand” of this science has emerged in modern times. The environmental branch of eugenics believes that, due to overpopulation, measures must be taken to either impede population growth through various eugenic policies, or take drastic measures to eliminate living human beings from the earth. Unlike those who advocate eugenics to strictly rid humanity of “undesirables,” some advocate the culling of humanity in general in order to save planet earth. Many globalist initiatives surround environmental issues, one of which has been population control and reduction.” 

That about brings us back to Hillary Clinton jumping into the spotlight with our new found commitment to assist the United Nations goal of limiting world population through the use of modern scientific means.  The UN won’t haul undesirables off to concentration camps as was done, by mistake, so many years ago; that kind of stuff makes for bad press.  Today governments can modify the food undesirables consume; they can sterilize one meal at a time with genetically modified food.

“In a new (12 November 2008) Austrian study that will send shock waves through the corridors of power in the EU, and through the offices of the GM corporations, it has been discovered that GM corn has a damaging effect upon the reproductive system.”

Let that information soak in, and while you’re at it consider how easy it was to have a government paid shrink declare a US Marine mentally unstable  and hauled away to a sanatorium in handcuffs for simply expressing his views on a Facebook account the other day.  

“Police – acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional – took Raub to the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He was not charged with any crime.” 

How easy would it be to use government paid health care providers to declare individuals unfit for society?  Obamacare and a government run health care system holds Americans hostage to a wide range of unthinkable horrors.  If we consider how that legislation set up Death Panels to determine ineligibility for treatment based on age or expected cost overruns to returning soldiers being labeled as future right wing terrorists by Homeland Security because they may have seen too much violence during their tour of duty then it could be said that nobody is safe and that inalienable rights no longer exist in America.

When I read that Hillary Clinton has made population control the centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy; yes, the hair on my back stood up as if I’d been struck by lightning.  This is the same woman who at this very moment is attempting to work out details of how to disarm every individual in America via a U.N. arms agreement, an agreement which would not need to be ratified by our Senate; only a signature from our president and it would become the law of the land.  Sleep tight and sweet dreams, our nation is in good hands.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Another Way

In church yesterday we were reminded of the Wise Men led by the star on their quest to pay homage to the Christ Child.  They'd first visited with Herod to announce their intentions to honor the King of the Jews.  Herod was concerned and wanted them to return with information as to this new King’s location, as Sister Kindred read from Matthew 2:12, “…being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”

Another way meant the Wise Men left the area on a different route and kept from assisting Herod’s plan to destroy the Christ Child; but it also implied a change in heart, doing things in a manner other than what had previously been done.  I love reading the scriptures as ideas are opened up only when your mind and heart are ready to accept the messages wrapped carefully and yet always in plain sight. 

It was Albert Einstein who said, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  Isn’t that similar to saying try another way?

The economy has been twisting and turning its way down the toilet bowl for quite some time.  Fed Chairmen Ben Bernanke was in favor of a “stimulus package” to kick start the economy back on October 21, 2008 as found in a Wall Street Journal piece by Sudeep Reddy andGreg Hitt.

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed congressional plans for a stimulus package Monday, giving a critical boost to Democratic lawmakers who are looking to inject more government funds into the economy.”

Bernanke must not read the scriptures or intentionally ignores the advice of Einstein as he keeps insisting that shoveling more taxpayer money down the toilet will solve all our problems.  The Columbus Dispatch recorded the following on August 25, 2012:

“The Federal Reserve has room to deliver additional monetary stimulus to boost the U.S. economy, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressional oversight panel in a letter.”

In that same article we’re told presidential hopeful Mitt Romney understands the admonition to do things another way:

“Romney said he’s not a big fan of the Fed’s efforts under Bernanke to stimulate the economy and would oppose another round of bond-buying, which the central bank is considering to help boost the sagging recovery.”

Our economy is headed toward the cliffs of long term depression; even with a change at the top and fiscal responsibility in the form of major economic reform there won’t be any recovery over night, if at all.  Face it, the United States is moments away from financial bankruptcy and will have to start from scratch building respect for our nearly worthless Dollar.  Those around the world have lost faith in our abilities and will probably find another form of currency to do business with in the market place.   

Pumping money down the toilet is not the way; call it a stimulus package, QE 2, 3, 4 or what ever.  Unless we go another way the future of America is in serious doubt. 

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Crazy - Political Arrests in America

 

The FBI and Secret Service initiated the arrest of Brandon J Raub after he posted politically incorrect comments on the internet.  You wouldn’t know about this incident by watching the large news media outlets since it’s only being discussed on places like Facebook and within the blogging community; wonder why that is?  I actually looked for a report from any large news outlet using “Marine Brandon Raub” as key search words and could find nothing on the first several pages of Google other than blogger entries; the Huffington Post being about the largest contributor, and I’m not a big fan of the “Huff”.

“Police – acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional – took Raub to the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He was not charged with any crime.”

From what I’ve read, and I’m not alone on this, Raub’s postings weren’t much different than many other concerned citizens who’ve been paying attention to the manner in which our government is being run into the ground at the expense of individual liberties and trampling God given rights supposedly protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights.  His arrest constitutes a form of tyranny usually associated with third world dictators trying to silence their opposition; being arrested for physiological reasons was a favorite tactic under Joseph Stalin, or more recently, 200,000 political prisoners held in North Korean gulags.

The late Kim Jong Il had an explanation, he said, “… punishing the enemies of the state, protects the North Korean people’s human rights.”

These are children of folks kept in “protective custody” because their parents didn’t like the way Kim Jong Il treated the people of North Korea; clearly they’re a threat just as Brandon Raub needed to be held under protective custody for voicing his political opinions on Facebook.

John Whitehead, a lawyer for The Rutherford Institute, represented Raub at a hearing held to determine Raub’s competency and mental state.  Here is where Americans need to pay attention as Whitehead encapsulated a concern which affects everyone.

“For government officials to not only arrest Brandon Raub for doing nothing more than exercising his First Amendment rights but to actually force him to undergo psychological evaluations and detain him against his will goes against every constitutional principle this country was founded upon,” Whitehead said.

{…}

“The big concern, Whitehead said, is whether government officials are monitoring citizens’ private Facebook pages and detaining people with whom they disagree.”

Most of us are familiar with the old black and white movie, Miracle on 34^th Street.  Kris Kringle challenged the abilities of Macy’s employee psychologist and was incarcerated in the local mental hospital under the charge he was a danger to himself and the general public simply because Kris believed himself to be Santa Claus.  

His lawyer and friend went to the mental hospital to get him released; but since the State had determined Kris to be a danger to himself and others nothing could be done short of completing the court’s drawn out processes.  It only took a neurotic self absorbed psychologist, an obliging prosecutor and a compliant judge to have Santa Claus removed from society.

Kris tried to make sense of what had happened as he explained, “…but I’m in here and he’s out there”; hum, not much different than what Brandon Raub might be saying as he sits in a mental institution against his will.   

It would seem our government is testing the waters, seeing just how far beyond constitutional restraints they can go before enough citizens call them on it; much the way TSA and Homeland Security have trampled on the 4^th Amendment with unwarranted searches.  We now have the FBI and Secret Service agents kidnapping law abiding individuals who speak their minds in opposition to a tyrannical government. 

The drive by media is in the pocket of big government so you won’t hear them clamoring for justice in behalf of Brandon Raub; that will be up to the blogging community and civic minded folks like The Rutherford Institute.  I never thought I’d see the day when an American citizen was arrested for his/her political rantings; that’s just crazy!

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Morals, Manners, Virtue and Religion

Recently a friend who lacks faith in God or formal religion asked, “Can you have morals/manners without it being centered around god?”  The answer depends entirely on the definition applied to morals and/or manners; however, there’s book by David Barton, Importance of Morality and Religion in Government, which covered this question and so I’ll use it as needed to establish a working answer.

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.”  If we are to accept that statement then it would seem religion and morality go hand in hand.”  John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Charles Francis Adams

This easily becomes an open invitation for “expert witnesses” much as in the movie, Miracle on 34^th Street.   The prosecutor representing the state required irrefutable evidence proving not only was Santa Claus real; but the fellow who had been working for Macy’s was the one and only Santa Claus.  You’ll recall how the clever attorney used a letter addressed to Santa Claus and delivered by a representative of the United States Post Office as proof that Kris Kringle, defendant, was recognized as the one and only Santa Clause; case dismissed. 

David Barton must have had someone ask him, “Can you have morals/manners without it being centered around god?”  Barton’s answer:

“Many of the strongest opponents of anarcho-capitalism are atheists, secularists, and “Objectivists” who indulge without caution the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Such people have abandoned reason in an irrational quest for autonomy which ironically leads them to support a State which inevitably evolves into socialism.”   

George Washington, a man who could not tell a lie, from his Farewell Address in 1796 wrote:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? 

And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?”

Benjamin Franklin, often cited by scholars as a deist rather than a man of religion no doubt had difficulty with formal religion in his day; however, that did not keep him from assigning due diligence and respect for the powers from on High.

“I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.” Benjamin Franklin, Request for Prayers at the Constitutional Convention (July 28, 1787)  

Franklin was not alone in respect to having prayers offered at the beginning of government meetings.  James Madison recorded:

“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. 

I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”  The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 

While these comments by Adams, Washington, Madison and Franklin don’t provide irrefutable evidence uniting morals, manners, virtue and religion; their testimony indicates they are inseparable. 

 

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

I’m just down the street…

When you hear someone tell you they’re just down the street the natural understanding is you will see them momentarily; at least that’s what most people would think.  I guess some folks don’t bother to tell you the street they’re on is in another city; oh well.

A car dealership sold and delivered a woman a Dodge Nitro; but wanted a duplicate key made, one of those fancy keys that had a transponder anti theft system and also had the remote push buttons right there on the key.  We set up an appointment for the following day to meet between 1:30 and 2:00 at the dealership.  When I arrived at 1:35 the salesman called his customer to make sure everything would work out and the woman responded, “I’m just down the street”.

That gave me a chance to drive through the automatic car wash and towel my truck off; all the while keeping a look out for a white Nitro that would be pulling onto the car lot momentarily.  Twenty minutes later we were still looking for the customer to get her key made.  The salesman again gave his customer a call, apologizing for having wasted so much of my time while he waited for her to pick up the phone.

“...I see, you’re just now getting downtown and will be another forty minutes…”; so much for being just down the street.  I won’t repeat what the used car manager said; but it was not very complimentary and had to do with female dogs and liars. 

Eventually my locksmith job got done; but the woman didn’t seem the least bit phased about having wasted over an hour of my time, as if the world revolved around her.  Some folks live in an entitlement world and never consider others; that’s just the way it is.

There was a news story in the Fuel Fix section of the Houston Chronicle explaining that several governors in the coastal states sent off a letter to the Obama administration this past March requesting input on off shore drilling plans.  They are still waiting; perhaps the Obama administration is “just down the street” and really are serious about getting together to discuss a serious strategy regarding our natural resources.

“The administration fails to expand adequate access to resource-abundant areas in the Arctic and fails to establish leasing in the Mid- and South-Atlantic,” the group said. And Arctic lease sales “may never occur,” the governors said, because the government is requiring further study of that area.”

{…}

‘“For five months, this administration has ignored our outreach attempting to improve the state-federal dialogue,” said Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle.’

The finalized plan offered by the Obama administration, one put together without input from governors in the states affected by these policies; that plan was rejected by both Congress and the Senate as it lacked anything reasonable in the way of addressing our dependence on natural gas and oil drilling off shore.  We could have washed the governor’s cars, changed the oil and rotated the tires while waiting for the Obama administration to listen to serious suggestions from those affected by long term oil and gas production policies.  Hell, we could have built them each a brand new car from scratch while waiting for the Obama administration to get serious about long term oil and gas drilling policies.

The fact of the matter, Obama isn’t “just down the street”; he isn’t even on the way.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Tea Party Insurrectionists

Retired Col. Kevin Benson is teaching United States soldiers at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas that the enemy that will be met in the streets here on our soil are extremist Tea Party insurrectionists according to an article by Anthony Martin which appeared on the Examiner website.  The title, Army colonel ignites firestorm with article on crushing a‘tea party insurgency’, illustrates the mindset of some in our government and could easily be compared to that of pre-World War Two Germany.

The pattern has been used before; quite effectively I might add, to label any portion of society which may be a threat to the powers that be; to label them as extremists, a danger to the average everyday citizen.

After a year or so of hearing over and over again that Jews were a danger to the stability of Germany nobody said much when the Jew’s businesses were trashed or their homes taken away. Then came the “night of the long knives” when all undesirables were summarily executed or rounded up to be carted off.  Nobody wanted to know what had happened in the shadows, a sorry excuse for the rule of law; most were simply glad the trouble makers were gone and everyone could be happy again.

The drive by media is branding the Tea Party movement as trouble makers every chance they get, doing so in concert with the progressives in the Obama administration and Homeland Security.  Now some top leaders in the military have joined in directing insulting language toward conservative members of society who will stand up against tyranny.

Back in January of this year the Department of Homeland Security finalized its study on how to deal with home grown terrorist groups  which included the following (on page 9 of that report):

“Extreme Right-Wing: groups that believe that one’s personal and/or national “way of life” is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent (for some the threat is from a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group), and believe in the need to be prepared for an attack either by participating in paramilitary preparations and training or survivalism. Groups may also be fiercely nationalistic (as opposed to universal and international in orientation), anti-global, suspicious of centralized federal authority, reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty.”

{…}

“…DHS went to work to downplay the danger and significance of radicalized Islam and to highlight the supposed dangers posed by “homegrown, right wing terrorists” who are characterized by an extreme adherence to conservative Christianity and the belief that the Constitution is the final rule of law in America, small and limited government is the ideal insisted upon by the Framers, and big government poses an ever growing threat to individual freedom.”

In other words, the Tea Party movement which represents conservative values is considered more of a threat to America than Islamic extremists who have pledged to destroy all western civilization. 

I remember seeing the mountains of trash left behind after the coronation of Obama as America’s Emperor, his adoring public leaving soiled diapers, sandwich wrappers and empty drinking cups scattered to such an extent as to make it appear like a band of vandals had attacked our nation’s capital.  Folks from the Tea Party movement gathered in Washington D.C. to express concerns about how poorly our representatives in Washington were handling the economy and basic constitutional principles.  The Tea Party standing up to poor leadership in Washington may have been the most civilized gathering to ever have happened in the history of that great city. 

Unlike the Occupy Movement which destroyed almost everything they touched in cities they laid siege to, there were no Tea Party rapes, no Tea Party murders and no Tea Party fist fights within the huge crowds which represented conservative traditional family values; with perhaps the exception of some SEIU thugs who assaulted some innocent folks.  Heck, there wasn’t even trash to pick up after they left since members of the Tea party movement love their country so much they pick up after themselves. 

The news media has been working its lies and propaganda for quite some time now.  Every opportunity is used to brand conservative minded folks as extremists.  Moments after the shooting which left 6 people dead and Representative Gabby Giffords gravely injured members of the media reported it had been the result of some right wing extremist or Tea Party member.  No evidence was available to back up such a statement; but the lie had to be spread so that as many folks would hear the lie and react unfavorably towards anyone holding conservative opinions.

The same propaganda style reporting happened recently after the shooting rampage in Aurora, Colorado; it must have been an extremist member of the Tea Party movement, someone who has been training with a survivalist group.  It doesn’t matter if the facts don’t match with the reporting; the public must hear it over and over again how dangerous the conservatives are, those who cling to religion and guns, extremists who gravitate to the Tea Party movement, home grown terrorists who need to be carefully scrutinized. 

Now we have a retired U.S. Army colonel teaching our troops to prepare for military exercises under the presumption they will be facing home grown terrorists, extremists who are Tea Party insurrectionists willing to go to war on our own soil.  I can only hope there is a voice of reason somewhere in our military, a voice which counters this bombardment of insanity and innuendo directed toward patriotic Americans.  Maybe we can get the Oath Keepers to address these same military personnel, undo some of the damage done by a reckless hate monger like Retired Col. Kevin Benson and remind them of their constitutional responsibilities.  Our troops defend and support the Constitution, not the party in power.

I have a question, when has the current administration scheduled our “night of the long knives”?  Some believe it will come about if the elections in November don’t return Obama for a second term, that riots have been planned in advance in order to create the perfect “crisis” which would require military action.  Watch your back; treachery and history go hand in hand; but I’m just speaking as a Tea Party insurrectionist.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Intrinsic Value and the IRS

What would we do without the IRS reminding us to pay up or go to jail?  It would be a safe bet most Americans didn’t know Olympic athletes have to pay taxes if they win their event.  Stephen Dinan of the Washington Post wrote an article, Rubio bill eliminates federal tax on Olympic medals, which explained how the IRS is waiting at the finish line to collect what they consider their winnings.

“Athletes who win a gold medal also earn a $25,000 honorarium — and with it an $8,986 tax bill to the IRS, according to Americans for Tax Reform, which crunched the numbers. That covers both the honorarium and the tax on the value of the gold in the medal itself.”

The IRS should separate earned income from the medal’s presumed value; but I’m getting ahead of myself.  The honorarium paid to winners should be treated as earned income; not much different than getting paid for hours worked at any other job.  Certainly athletes keep a record of expenses incurred while training which would easily offset any income earned on their tax returns, assuming they win their events. 

“…Put rubber pennies on your eyes…’cause I’m the taxman…oh yea, I’m the taxman…” The Beatles

As to the IRS taxing athletes on the value of medals won in competition, that gets into an area where the IRS has no business going.  I’ve no idea what an Olympic Gold Medal weighs; but for argument’s sake, let’s say it comes in at 3 ounces.  The spot price for gold at the time of writing was $1578.00 per ounce so each Olympic Gold Medal would cost the Olympic Committee around $4734.00; but athletes don’t buy their medals, they are awarded them in competition.  (I know that could lead to another discussion regarding bought and paid for judges; but let’s not go there today).

The winner of an Olympic Gold Medal doesn’t place a monetary value on the prize because it represents an achievement rather than an investment; in essence it has no earthly value and should not be subject to taxation from any governmental agency, certainly not the IRS.  If in the future the Olympian falls on hard times and decides to sell his/her medal, then and only then should a monetary value be assigned to that piece of precious metal, and then only on the actual sale price upon completion of the sale.

‘“Our tax code is a complicated and burdensome mess that too often punishes success, and the tax imposed on Olympic medal winners is a classic example of this madness,” the Florida Republican said.”

In other news concerning the IRS, as reported by ALLAHPUNDIT at Hot Air’s website, the government has valued a collection of art at over $1 Billion dollars that was passed on surviving family members who’ve had to sell off over $600 million of that art to pay the inheritance taxes.  Had the family intended to sell these pieces of art, then and only then would they be subject to taxation, and only on the amount for each piece once a deal was completed.  These items should not be taxed simply because the family decides to keep them, no different than a family farm should have to be sold off in portions to pay an inheritance tax; this is pure and simple confiscation of private property at the point of a gun.

“The object under discussion is “Canyon,” a masterwork of 20th-century art created by Robert Rauschenberg that Sonnabend’s children inherited when she died in 2007.

Because the work, a sculptural combine, includes a stuffed bald eagle, a bird under federal protection, the heirs would be committing a felony if they ever tried to sell it. So their appraisers have valued the work at zero. But the IRS takes a different view. It has appraised “Canyon” at $65 million and is demanding that the owners pay $29.2 million in taxes…”

This particular piece of artwork can’t be valued at anything other than zero because it’s against the law to sell it.  The IRS wants to grab a huge chunk of this family’s bank account and believes it can simply because they have so much power folks are afraid of them.

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”  Thomas Jefferson 

I taught a Sunday School lesson to a group of eleven year old children some time back.  The lesson had to do with how important the Book of Mormon was as a second witness that Jesus is the Christ.  Originally the Book of Mormon was recorded on plates of brass and gold and translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith before these records were safely returned to the heavens.  

During the time Joseph Smith had possession of the plates many folks attempted to obtain them by stealth or force because they would have been worth a considerable sum.  The sacred plates were hidden under loose boards in the house or in wooden barrels containing food stores to keep them from being stolen.  

I placed a hundred dollar bill inside a copy of my Book of Mormon before church started and hid it under the plastic liner of a trash collection bin in the hallway a few doors down from where my class met.  I explained to the class how if they found the Book of Mormon they could keep the hundred dollars hidden within the pages; but they only had a few minutes to complete the treasure hunt.

I felt my stomach flutter when two of the boys reached down into the trash receptacle, going through a few discarded pieces of paper and giving up without lifting the plastic trash liner; that was close.  After the children were called back to class I let them watch as I retrieved the hidden Book of Mormon, opening the pages so the hundred dollar bill fell into my hand.  Their eyes opened wide as the idea of so much money being within their grasp, what they could have purchased with it; but it wasn’t to be.

The point of the lesson was to remind these children that the plates of brass and gold from which the Book of Mormon was translated contained something of value far more than the weight of the precious metal.  The Book of Mormon has no value, at least monetarily.  Oh, you can go to the LDS bookstore and purchase a fine leather edition; but the Elders will hand you a paper back copy at no charge.  It’s the same book with information that is priceless.

Had the IRS been around in Joseph Smith’s day they’d have figured a way to place a monetary value on the sacred plates delivered by the Angel Moroni.  The IRS thinks that everything belongs to the government; that any and all property originated from the government and should eventually end up back in their hands.  It doesn’t matter if it’s an Olympic Gold Medal, a piece of sculpture or a piece of sacred material with a message from our Heavenly Father; if the IRS has their way, it’s taxable.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.